Grain-stowage device



Sept. 18, 1928.

J. c. D lLL GRAIN STOWAGE mm Filed April 7, 1926 nvv'E/v TOR domv CRoM/E DILL ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UN'l TED STATES v 1,684,478 A ENT oFFi-cn JOHN CROMIE BILL, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH GOLUM'BIA, "'GKN'ADA;

GRAIN STOWAGE' DEVICE.

Application filed Apri1'7, 1926, Serial No 100,888,, and. in .C-amadaiMay 2.19, 1925.

My invention relates to improvements in grain stowage devices the objects of which are to provide means whereby grain fedby spout into a ships hold maybe conveyedto remote portions of the holdwithout having recourse to manual labour. A further object is to permit the introduction of air at atmospheric pressure with the grain to the distributor head, and a still further object isto provide means whereby the point of entry of the grain to the distributor head may be varied and the flow of air thereto maybe regulated. p

The invention consists essentially of a distributor head having one or more delivery nozzles and an equal number of fe-ed'openings, a duct for adn'iitting .air to the h-ead and a fan rotatable therein for receiving the grain and for discharging it throu-g li'the delivery nozzles, as will. be more fully described in the following specification, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the feed adjusting mechanism.

111 the drawings like characters of refer ence indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates a base having ver-' tical supports 2 carrying a plurality of frame members 3 which are provided at their outer ends with shackles at, which serve as a means for suspending the device from suitable cables 5. Upon the frame members 3 a. distributor head 6 having side walls 7 is carried, which is provided with one or more nozzles 8 extending horizontally therefrom through which the grain is projected. A blower fan generally indicated by the numeral 9 is rotatably mounted within the head 6, which fan is provided with a plurality of vanes 10 vertically disposed upon a circular plate 11. The vanes of the fan are disposed radially about a central space or core 12 and are preferably connected together at their upper edges by an annular ring 13 which serves as a means of strengthening the fan and may also be utilized in conjunction with a. ball bearing (not shown) for journalling the upper end of the fan to the cover plate 19. The fan 9 is mounted upon a shaft 14: which is suitably journalled as at 15 to a supporting member 16 extending between the frame members 3, the lower end of the shaft 14 be- 7 oi'athehead and a curved :racki is secured .stop .31. gram spout leadingifromaa suitable source ing coupled as at.1'7 tothe-sh-aft of a motor 18 carried upon the base 1. 1 r

The numeral 1-9. in dicates a .eoverlplate .tor

the distributor head 6 having a depending rim 20 which is adaptedtoenrbrace the up.- per edges of the side walls 7. A shaft. 21 h-avlnga hand wheel 22 at one end and:a

-wo-rm 23 at the opposite endis journalled upon a bracket 24 mounted'uponthe sidewall to the-trim 20 of the cover plate .19 so that by turningthe shaft 21 the cover plate .19 may be rotated about the distributor head 'whendesired.

' The numeral Edindicates an air duct-com centrically disposed upon the cover plate '26 having .a damper '27 i which is adapted to control the passage there-through, the damper being anounted upon :a cranked shaft 28 and actuated by. a rod 29' which notched ten the underside as at30-ito engage Jan adjust- The numeral '32 indicates of supply which is connected to an inverted Y 33 having as many legs 34 as there are discharge delivery nozzles 8 to the distributor head. Each of these legs communicate therewith through an aperture 35 in the cover plate 19 which is disposed in close proximity to the centre of the cover, so that thegrain entering therethrough is received by the portion of the vanes 10 of the fan 9 which is subject to the lowest velocity.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention I will now briefly explain its use. 7

The device is adjusted as to position that the delivery nozzles are pointing in the desired direction, the motor is started causing the fan 9 to rotate, grain is then fed through the spout 32 and is allowed to fall through the apertures 35 when it is received by the fan vanes and by centrifugal force is thrown tangentially from the distributor head 6 and through the delivery nozzles tothe desired position in the ships hold.

During the outward throw of the grain by the vanes 10 the damper 27 is adjusted to admit of a suitable flow of air to enter the head through the inlet 26 and the core 12 7 vanesat an earlier point and to permit of its total discharge through the proper discharge nozzles.

It will thus be seen that I have'invented a grain stowing device through which the flow of rain is supplemented by air to permit of its unrestricted passage between the fan vanes, and through the discharge, whereby the grain may be projected a. greater distance than is usual with rotary stowing devices in common use.

What I claim 'as my invention is:

1. A grain stowing device comprising a distributor head having a circumferential outlet and a top inlet, a fan rotatable within said head and provided with a plurality of vanes between which the grain is delivered through the inlet, and means for changing the position of the inlet to vary the setting thereof with respect to the vanes of the fan.

2. A grain stowing device comprising a frame, supporting cables attached thereto, vertical su ports carried by and depending from said flame, a base secured to the lower ends of said supports, a motor mounted on the base, a drive shaft extending from the motor upwardly through said frame, a fail comprising a plate fastened to an upper part of the drive shaft and provided with a plurality of spaced vertical vanes radiating from the center of the plate, a casing enclosing said fan and afi'ording a distributing head secured upon the frame, said casing being formed with spaced circumferential outlets, a rotatable closure plate forming the top wall of the casing and provided adjacent the central portion thereof with. openings affording inlets to the casing and corresponding in number to the outlets and means for rotating said closure plate to change the angular setting of the inlets with respect to the vanes of the fan.

A grain stowing device comprising a casing open at the top and provided with a plurality of spaced circumferential outlets, a plate closing the top of said casing and pro vided adjacent the center thereof with inlet openings corresponding in number to the outlet openings, a fan rotatably mounted in said casing and presenting a plurality of relatively spaced vertically disposed vanes radiating from a common center, a curved rack carried by said plate, a rotatably 1ournaled worm wheel meshing with said rack and supported. from the casing and handle means for a rotating said wheel.

Dated at Vancouver, B. (1, this 1st day of April, 1926.

JOHN CROMIE DILL. 

